Events and their sequence are the same as the real Mahabharata the only difference is that the story is narrated by Draupadi, one of the most significant characters of the epic. In the book Palace of Illusions, Chitra Banerjee did remarkable work by creating her version of Mahabharata. Rarely anyone would say Draupadi, Kunti, or Gandhari, although their role in the story was equally crucial. But, if one is asked about some great characters in this epic, they may tell Arjun, Krishna, Yudhishthir, Bheem, or Karna. For those who don’t know about Mahabharata, it’s an ancient Indian epic that narrates the story of two groups of cousins- the Pandavas and the Kauravas – who battle for the throne in the Kurukshetra war. If you are an Indian, you probably have heard stories of Mahabharata innumerable times in your childhood. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Palace of Illusions

And often others see you as you see yourself.” “A problem becomes a problem only if you believe it to be so. The arresting power and tragedy of the Vedic doctrine of karma that illustrates the grand ancient epic ultimately crushes this novel.Major Characters: Draupadi, Arjun, Bheem, Yudhisthir, Krishna, Karna, Duryodhan Dreams and foretold destinies are fulfilled with disheartening alacrity. There are gender-changing, celestial astras (weapons), gods in disguise, epiphanies and many other marvelous events, but there is also no suspense or tension. As soon as Panchaali marries the five Pandava brothers, the promise of the novel begins to fade. Unfortunately, the fun is quickly spoiled. They add to it, they go back in time, or another character, their nurse Dhai Ma, mixes what actually happened with things that should have happened. Using a meta-fiction device, the author has Panchaali and her twin brother Dhri interrupt the flow of a story-the story of their unusual birth. The Palace of Illusions starts fascinatingly. Set in a mythic age, “when the lives of men and gods still intersected,” this new novel from feminist writer Divakaruni retells the story of the Indian epic Mahabharat from an original point of view, that of Panchaali, the wife of the five brothers of the epic tale, an extraordinary princess born out of Fire and destined to “change the course of history.”

The palace illusions